Bonjour! We’re SO excited to have interior design firm Avenue ID on the blog today to talk about their week-long design adventure in Paris for the annual Maison & Objet tradeshow and Paris Deco Off. Every year, designers from all over the world flock to Paris to see the latest and greatest in design trends, décor, and product offerings. From flea markets to design presentations, occasional culinary indulgences, and some much-needed retail therapy, Avenue ID’s week in Paris was nothing short of amazing. Sit back, relax, and read on to hear about their très magnifique time in the City of Lights…
Every January, designers from all over the world descend on Paris for the annual trade show, Maison & Objet, and the week-long design extravaganza known as Paris Deco Off. Having never attended, we decided to see what all the excitement was about and made our maiden voyage to the City of Lights this past January. Needless to say, the event did not disappoint. Though the week started off with a little rain, it was a welcome change of pace for us Angelenos!
Traditionally, tradeshows get a pretty bad rap, but Maison & Objet was like none we had ever experienced. Considered the tradeshow of the week, Maison & Objet showcases the best of the best in furniture, lighting, table settings, décor, and paper products. This year was no exception. Here are a few of our favorite finds from the show…
Photos via Avenue ID
Deco Off is the name given to all the various furniture and fabric showrooms throughout the city that open their doors to show their newest product offerings that week. Some of the industry’s heaviest hitters also host presentations sharing an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the evolution of their brand or the creation of a new line.
At Deco Off, for one particular presentation, we sat in awe for over an hour as Patrick Frey, creative director of design house Pierre Frey, unveiled a video detailing the development of their new panoramic wallpapers. We were particularly moved by the technique behind the Mille Fleurs by Gaël Davrinche panoramic installation—an exceptionally striking floral motif in which the artist used only his hands to paint the piece. Coincidentally, one of the first photos we took in Paris happened to have a Pierre Frey façade dramatically draped over a store front in one of their gorgeous fabrics. Très chic, indeed!
The Mille Fleurs by Gaël Davrinche panoramic installation from Pierre Frey. Photos via Pierre Frey.
We love color and when it comes to interiors, no one had a better palette than the India Mahdavi showroom. We passed by her beautiful showroom and couldn’t help but stop and stare through the window.
A few doors down, we also stumbled upon another building with a lovely color palette (that blue!) and stunning door handles.
After our travels through the tradeshow and showrooms, we were left totally speechless at the endless abundance of treasures we found at the Paris Flea Market. We found too many good things as we navigated the stalls, and nothing was remotely like the next. We would have been lost if it wasn’t for antique dealer Toma Haines, who took us aside and gave us the lay of the land.
We also stopped by Galerie Glustin, which had showstopping furniture and interiors that we couldn’t get enough of.
After all of our busy days and hard work, we had to leave a little room for retail therapy and the occasional culinary indulgence whenever we had the chance. A quick pit stop at the Cedric Grolet bakery at Le Meurice satisfied our sweet tooth, while a stop at the infamous apothecary, Buly, satisfied our cosmetic bags. We came across more Pierre Frey pieces in our shopping haul and were a bit smitten with the Le Jardin du Palais Gien Dinnerware pieces too.
All in all, we left Paris with an incredible experience that was completely unforgettable. If you’re like us and want to take Paris home with you, add a little piece of Paris to your own interior with prints from Gray’s Up and Away Collection.
What did you think of Avenue ID’s amazing trip to Paris?
You can view more of Avenue ID’s work here, follow them on Instagram here, and be sure to shop Paris prints here!
Xx Team GM
Photos: Avenue ID, Pierre Frey